James R. Schlesinger
| James R. Schlesinger | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 1st United States Secretary of Energy | |
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In office August 9, 1977 – August 23, 1979 |
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| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | John F. O'Leary (Federal Energy Administration) |
| Succeeded by | Charles Duncan |
| 12th United States Secretary of Defense | |
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In office July 2, 1973 – November 19, 1975 |
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| President |
Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Elliot Richardson |
| Succeeded by | Donald Rumsfeld |
| 9th Director of Central Intelligence | |
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In office February 2, 1973 – July 2, 1973 |
|
| President | Richard Nixon |
| Deputy | Vernon A. Walters |
| Preceded by | Richard Helms |
| Succeeded by | Vernon A. Walters (Acting) |
| Chair of the Atomic Energy Commission | |
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In office August 17, 1971 – January 26, 1973 |
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| President | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | Glenn Seaborg |
| Succeeded by | Dixy Lee Ray |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Rodney Schlesinger February 15, 1929 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 27, 2014 (aged 85) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Rachel Line Mellinger (1954–1995) |
| Children | 8 |
| Education | Harvard University (BA, MA, PhD) |
James Rodney Schlesinger (February 15, 1929 – March 27, 2014) was an American economist and public servant who was best known for serving as Secretary of Defense from 1973 to 1975 under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. He became America's first Secretary of Energy under Jimmy Carter.
While Secretary of Defense, he opposed amnesty for draft resisters, and pressed for development of more sophisticated nuclear weapon systems. Additionally, his support for the A-10 and the lightweight fighter program (later the F-16) helped ensure that they were carried to completion.
James Rodney Schlesinger was born in New York City, the son of Jewish parents, Rhea Lillian (née Rogen) and Julius Schlesinger. His mother was a Lithuanian emigrant from what was then part of the Russian Empire and his father's family was from Austria. He converted to Lutheranism in his early 20s. Schlesinger was educated at the Horace Mann School and Harvard University, where he earned a B.A. (1950), M.A. (1952), and Ph.D. (1956) in economics. Between 1955 and 1963 he taught economics at the University of Virginia and in 1960 published The Political Economy of National Security. In 1963, he moved to the Rand Corporation, where he worked until 1969, in the later years as director of strategic studies.
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